Higgins, Collins, Slaughter want Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to be new home for KC-135 mission

Submitted

Thu, Oct 29th 2015 02:25 pm

In
letter to Air Force, Congress members say Niagara Base and 914th Airlift Wing are
well positioned for refueling mission

Congress members Brian Higgins, Chris Collins and
Louise Slaughter are urging the United States Air Force to consider the Niagara
Falls Air Reserve Station as a new base for operation of the KC-135 mission.

"The KC-135 mission has a history in Niagara Falls
and we want it to have a future here, too," Higgins said. "It's important to
continue to look at ways the station here can evolve to meet the needs of today
and tomorrow and strengthen its significance in the system. The Niagara Falls
base has critical infrastructure and personnel to make this a perfect fit."

"Niagara Falls Air Force Base has the personnel and
critical infrastructure to successfully support the KC-135 mission," Collins
said. "I am happy to partner with my congressional colleagues as we work
towards modernizing the base's mission and making this base BRAC-proof."

"As New Yorkers, we have always stood ready to
answer the call to serve," Slaughter said. "One of the proudest events of my
time in Congress was representing the Niagara Falls Reserve Station, known
nationwide for its extraordinary work. With a proud military tradition and
leading modern capabilities, Western New York is ideally positioned to continue
advancing our national defense by hosting the KC-135 mission. I am proud to
stand with my fellow New Yorkers and am especially grateful to my friend Brian
Higgins for his leadership on this issue."

The KC-135 Stratotanker has been the primary
refueling aircraft for the Air Force for 60 years. The Air Force may be looking
to rebase some of the KC-135 tankers as some existing sites transition to the
new KC-46.

According to a 2012 report,
the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station supports close to 3,300 jobs and has a
total economic impact of more than $200 million annually.

Below is the text of the letter
sent by Reps. Higgins, Collins and Slaughter:

October 29, 2015

General Carlton D. Everhart

Commander

Air Mobility Command

Headquarters

Dear General Everhart,

As the United States Air Force (USAF) changes and
modernizes to meet new mission requirements and emerging national security
challenges, we remain committed to ensuring that the Niagara Falls Air Reserve
Station (NFARS) continues to play an integral role in this process by providing
it with an enduring mission that effectively leverages its high quality
workforce, infrastructure and location.

Since transitioning to the C-130 mission, the 914th
Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve and the 107th Airlift Wing of the Air
National Guard have made immense contributions to USAF's global mobility
mission, conducting thousands of cargo lift operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and
domestically. The 914th currently flies 8 C-130 H2 aircraft while the 107th is
transitioning to a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) mission.

However, as the USAF endeavors to draw down its
aging C-130 fleet, we believe it is an opportune time to consider a new and
enduring mission that will take advantage of NFARS' existing capabilities.

To that end, along with New York State, we strongly
supported NFARS' selection as the site for the KC-46A's third main operating
base (MOB-3). While NFARS was not down-selected to host this new generation of
refueling tankers, key tanker infrastructure exists at the base that would make
NFARS an ideal candidate for the KC-135, which will remain a key cog in the
USAF's air refueling capability as efforts to recapitalize the tanker fleet
undergo acquisition delays.

Enhancing its merit, the 107th Air Refueling Wing
previously supported the KC-135 mission, having flown this airframe for over a
decade until it transitioned to the cargo lift mission following the 2005 Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. To that end, NFARS retains much of the
key tanker infrastructure, including fuel storage, fuel dispensing, and
reinforced runway and ramp. We believe that an USAF review of the
infrastructure would confirm that minimal expenditures would be required to
reprise these assets. We invite you to visit NFARS in the near future in order
to examine these capabilities, and are confident you will see its viability for
the KC-135 mission.

As the largest employer in Niagara County and a key
part of our national security infrastructure, we remain committed to ensuring
NFARS is well positioned to contribute to the national defense now and in the
future. We greatly appreciate your continued support and look forward to working
with you as the rebasing of the KC-135 moves forward.